March 16, 1982

EMPTINESS By MAYA PINES AMERICAN psychoanalysts believe they are finding new ways to treat a large and possibly growing group of patients whose problems used to seem nearly insoluble to traditional analysis: the joyless men and women who cannot love anyone, but spend their lives desperately seeking admiration to counteract their feelings of inner emptiness. These people suffer from what is now being called a ''narcissistic personality disorder,'' which paradoxically involves self-hatred as well as self-love. They have a grandiose sense of self-importance or uniqueness, and react with rage or deep humiliation when their superiority is not recognized. The syndrome is being diagnosed with increasing frequency by analysts and other therapists. It is said to have its roots in the earliest years of life (even before the Oedipal conflict, which is a central part of Freudian theory) and therefore to require unusual approaches to therapy. By understanding it better, many analysts believe they are developing a powerful framework for dealing with a kind of unhappiness that, for reasons as yet unclear, seems especially prevalent today.

J.P. Morgan & Company's proposal to be the first bank holding company to trade in financial futures has encountered stiff opposition from some commodity brokers and dealers who fear that Morgan and other banks may lure away their customers. J.P. Morgan & Company, which owns the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, one of the nation's largest banks, has already set up a subsidiary to trade financial futures for the company's own account. The subsidiary, the Morgan Futures Corporation, was formed last May. The Federal Reserve Board is expected to rule soon on Morgan's proposal to trade financial futures for the bank's customers. If approved, Morgan Futures would act as a futures commission merchant - in effect, a broker - in futures contracts for bullion, foreign exchange and United States Government securities.

The Administration's chief economist said today that persistently high interest rates have jeopardized the prospects for a business recovery starting this spring and continuing through 1983 and beyond. ''These interest rates are affecting the timing, speed, strength and duration of the recovery,'' Murray L. Weidenbaum, chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, said in an interview. His comments apppeared to increase the possibility that the Administration would scale down its forecast in the revised budgetary outlook that the President must by law send to Congress in April. The almost certain implication of such a downward revision would be lower projected revenues for the fiscal year 1983, which starts Oct. 1, and thus a larger deficit.

International Differing views on Nicaragua were suggested by Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. He made public the proposals he presented Sunday to Mexico's Foreign Minister for settling problems with Nicaragua over El Salvador, but said he had no reason to assume they would be acceptable to the Sandinist leadership. (Page A1, Col. 6.) The leftist government of Nicaragua suspended all individual rights and guarantees for 30 days because of what it said were United States ''plans of aggression against our country.'' Dainel Ortega Saavedra of the ruling Sandinist junta said the suspension of rights might be extended ''in keeping with the prevailing circumstances in the country.'' (A1:5.)

Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. yesterday made public the proposals that he presented to the Mexican Foreign Minister Sunday for settling differences with Nicaragua over El Salvador. But Mr. Haig said there was no reason to assume they would be acceptable to the Sandinist leadership. The proposals amount to a package -previously offered to Nicaragua by the Administration - in which Nicaragua would receive United States protection against exile groups and perhaps get new economic aid if it ended its involvement in the Salvadoran guerrilla war. In the past Nicaragua has denied having a direct role in El Salvador and therefore has refused to give any commitment of noninvolvement there.